Old Relics
by ArtOverChaos
Summary: The fables of Korra and tales of a mighty earth nation avatar have come and gone. Over one hundred and forty years have passed. Giving raise to advantages in technology and science. Even with bending and avatars, knowledge still proved to be the most powerful thing in the world. But more advantages meant more choices, and doesn't take much for everything to fall to ruins.
1. Chapter 1

The fables of Korra and tales of a mighty earth nation avatar have come and gone. Over one hundred and forty years have passed. Giving raise to advantages in technology and science. Even with bending and avatars, knowledge still proved to be the most powerful thing in the world. But more advantages meant more choices, and doesn't take much for everything to fall to ruins.

The nations went to war with each other. No longer with fighting with elements they could control themselves but with atoms and bombs. After the death of the last avatar, no one seemed to really care who the new one was. What did it matter? Nature stood no chance against the new more destructive forces. Once great cities were now rumble. Tree roots twisted around broken down Satomobiles, growing wherever they could.

Planets were not the only thing trying to make a comeback. Three little fire nation kids were climbing on broken chunks of concrete. The oldest one of trio, Tiffany, was no more than twelve. John climbed on top of a car that had a sapling growing thru it's floorboard.

Andy was digging around a pile of junk, throwing rocks and broken pieces over her shoulder. "Hey I found something!" she said brushed the dirt off a little wooden hand drum. The face of the drum had a yellow and orange swirl even though the colors have faded from their original luster and two green balls hung halfway down the wooden stick. Andy thoughtfully looked at the toy for a moment before taping on the face of the drum with her fingertips. Their life had been mostly salvaging food and anything of value so they could make it to the next day together. A dirt filled life didn't lend itself to playthings.

"Can I see it?" Tiffany asked watching as Andy spun the toy around in her hands.

"Sure here," Andy said hopping down from her pile of rubble to hand it off.

Andy moved off to climb on the "jungle gym" of a car that John was on as Tiffany looked down at the toy almost captivated by it. "Ca- can I have this?" she asked.

"Well you know the rules. Finders keepers-" Andy started, making her friend frown a little, "I was only kidding!"

Tiffany slid the toy in her bag along side a clay turtle figure. She was about to say thanks when John triumpily jumped on top of the car shouting, "I am the Avatar." To top it off the pre-teen posed dramatically like some sort of superhero.

Andy rolled her eyes while Tiffany laughed at his display. "Come on don't be so silly. There is no avatar."

"There has to be one from the fire nation. Why can't it be me?"  
"Because there is no such thing anymore."

"There so totally is!"

"Guys, stop it," Andy protested, "Can we just go home? I don't want to out run the Raiders again."

- 10 Years Later -

A girl in a draped hood ran up the front of that same car. The sapling was now grown to a fine tree sticking out from the car's broken windshield. Her pants were a baggy but narrowed down into a pair of boots. "The coast is clear," Tiffany said pulling down her hood and looking back towards Andy who fell in place next to her on the street looking more like a warrior than a kid.

"Do you remember the time we here with John here?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tiffany answered letting her words trail off as she looked down at her boots.

"I wonder what he is doing now." Andy said talking out loud.

"Who cares. He's an asshole."

Andy laughed holding her hand up to Tiffany to help her down from the car.

"Thank you my dear," Tiffany started, "Come on maybe if we are lucky we will run into the Raiders. We can give them a hard time before we leave."


	2. Chapter 2

The girls had their hoods up looking like a pair of hunters. Andy was dressed in shades of dark green. Her clothes were tight and layered with thicker fabrics that served as protection. They stood on top of a ridge looking down at Raiders camp. In the center of their base there was a small fire going.

"Ready?" Tiffany asked, turning her head to Andy. The hood hide her expression but she knew Andy was smiling underneath. The two broke out into a sprint, running down in a mirrored fashion. Once closer they bended the campfire together making the fire grow ten fold. As the men scrambled to get up, Tiffany fired two fire quick jabs.

"An Earthbender!" on the men shouted noting Andy's green clothes. She stood grounded as the Raiders shot fire at her. There collective blasts grew to a giant ball which Andy ran head first towards. She ripped apart their attack, spinning the fire around and back towards them. As they fell backwards, Andy pulled down her hood grinning down at them. "You really shouldn't be so quick to judge people."  
Fire formed from Tiffany's heel as she kicked up. Her foot hit the ground again but didn't stay put for long as she spun around avoiding their counter attacks. Her hands moved around making a ring of fire that sliced through the group rounding them up.

Andy stood on one side of them holding a ball of fire ready to shot it at them if needed. Tiffany moved to the other side mirroring her friend. "Listen up. We are planning to leave these fire islands, so we need your supplies."

"Any objections?" Andy added. The men looked between the girls before looking down at the floor. "That's what I thought," she said closing her hand and extinguishing the flame. Andy moved around the camp claiming all their food as their own.

"You wouldn't happen to know a firebender named John would you?" Tiffany asked as she stood guard.

The men looked between each other, whispering to each other. "Out with it," she demanded the fire in her hands growing.

"We knew a John. He left about a year ago said he was going to the water tribes," one of the men answered.

"He was a bit too— much for our group," another added.

"Too much?" Andy asked now loaded up with their bags, "For you guys? I guess terrorizing little kids has made your group weak."

—-

Later that night Tiffany sat in front of their own fire. She was staring into the fire, watching as it flickered and crackled. Andy was leaning against her shoulder, her eyes closed to fire. Just awake enough to enjoy the warmth. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"Hmm?" Tiffany mumbled surprised Andy was even still awake, "Oh its just- Do you think we should go to the water tribes? Figure out what happened to him?"

"Who cares about him," Andy mumbled, moving enough to get comfortable again, "The Earth kingdom is said to be better. I heard they have real cities there. That's where our future is."

"You're right," Tiffany said sounding a bit unsure.

Andy moved again reaching to give Tiffany hand a little squeeze. "It's you and me against the world. We got this. Don't worry about anyone else." She let go of Tiff's hand and laid down on her sleeping bag.

"Yeah, you're right." Tiffany mumbled looking over to with a half smile before turning back to the fire.


	3. Chapter 3

The people of the Earth Kingdom have always been known to be three things: strong, persistent and enduring. The might explain why the nicest cities the two have ever saw were in the Earth Kingdom. Their stone buildings had once crumbled like the rest of the world had but the people simply stacked the pieces back in place. Despite their fine bending to rebuild cracks ran through most of the buildings reminding everyone this place wasn't quite as whole as it had been in the past. But like most of the Earth Kingdom's problems the people didn't talk about it. Either by royal decree or a testament to their silent endurance.

Which didn't really matter to Andy and Tiffany. They weren't looking for the sob story, hell everyone had their own personal version of it. What they wanted was a fresh start but it wasn't long before peace was broken by man running past them.

"What the," Andy mumbled.

"Should we liike- go check that out?"

"I guess so," she answered being a little unsure but in the end curiosity won out.

They followed after the man who had stopped to take a breather. His hands on his dark green pants as he bent over.

"Are you ok?" Tiffany asked as they got close.

Before Andy could even say anything the earthbender jumped bending the ground underneath their feet to pull it out from under them. The girls landing instantly on their bottoms with an audible sound.  
Tiffany jumped back up on her feet being quick to th draw as she shot fire at him.  
The flames licked the slab of granite Jake was able to full up just as fast.

"What the hell," Andy asked taking a moment to brush the dust off.

"You aren't with-," he stammered, "You are firebenders?"

"Andy. TIffany," she said pointing to them respectively, "And you are?"

"Jake," he said a bit unsure about them still, his fight or flight stance still very much intact.

"Who are you running from?" Tiffany asked taking a quick look behind them just incase she had missed something.

"There a group of men, the Equalists, who were kidnapping benders. I managed to escape and have been trying to get back home ever since," he explained.

Their title rang threw Tiffany's head feeling like she had heard it before but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Andy was the one who ended up asking what she was thinking. "Who are the Equalist?"

Jake looked around growing a bit paranoid after simply hearing the question. "They use leftover bits of tech they find to gain power. They sweep through this area not too long again. I got away as they were moving their camp up towards the water tribes."

"Why don't you get your King to do something about it?" Tiffany asked.

Jake laughed leaving both the girls confused for a moment. "There is no war in Ba Sing Se," he added. That saying used to be something more literal but over the years it grew into almost a joke about their hopeless situation. Maybe that is how the earth nation became such a tough and resilient people. They had always known how to carry on.

In the distance there was a rumble, rocks sliding against each other sounding grumpy to do so. The noise took up all their attention for a moment but it was Jake we decided he really didn't want to hang around anymore and made a bolt for it.

"Hey wait!" Tiffany called after him but earthbended himself a very clean escape.  
With a sigh she turned to look at Andy. "Think we should bring this up to the King anyways?"

Andy made a face at the suggestion not knowing for sure how she felt about the idea. "I don't think we should just forget about it. I mean he was sincerely spooked," she replied, "Plus that group heading towards where John was? Sounds a bit fishy to me."

"We aren't going turn to the hero type now are we?" Tiffany teased.

"Nah," Andy laughed, "Consider it adventures curiosity."


End file.
